Laubach's Proposal

Today's Journal....

Councilman pitches plan to help fund services

MIDDLETOWN — At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Councilman Josh Laubach proposed to increase city funds in a way that raised the eyebrows of his fellow council members.

Laubach recommend the city ask citizens who do not pay income or property taxes to financially contribute to the services still provided to them. These citizens, he said, should not be off the hook in funding services such as roads and public safety.

GOOD IDEA, IMO. THOSE WHO DO NOT PAY PROPERTY TAX-AKA APARTMENT RENTERS, AND THIS WHO DO NOT PAY A TAX TO THE CITY BASED ON THEIR EARNINGS SHOULD PAY INTO THE SYSTEM. THEY DRIVE, USING THE ROADS AND BENEFIT FROM POLICE AND FIRE SERVICE TOO. IF WE HAVE TO PAY, SO SHOULD THEY.

I LIKE THIS FROM LANDEN.....

"Still, Law Director Les Landen said more investigation is needed to determine whether Laubach’s proposal was actually a tax or a fee, as “there are legal constraints on how we’re allowed to raise money.”

Fundamentally, he said, the city can raise money through fees, taxes or assessments. To a implement fee, typically the fee’s benefit has to tie back to the individual paying for it. If the person pays but only receives a broad, general benefit, problems arise that it may in fact be a tax, rather than a fee, Landen said.

Taxing approaches, Landen said, are limited. The city’s ability as a municipal corporation to tax is limited to the income tax.

Assessments are typically done on a project-by-project basis, Landen said."

IN OTHER WORDS, JOSH, WE WILL PUT IT ON THE BACK BURNER (ALWAYS INDICATED BY LANDEN'S USE OF THE WORDS "IT WILL HAVE TO BE INVESTIGATED"-IT AIN'T GONNA BE "INVESTIGATED")..... AND, IN TIME, IT WILL FADE AWAY SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT, MUCH LIKE CITIZEN'S CONCERNS WHEN THEY ADDRESS COUNCIL. IT'S TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO CONSIDER THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND NOT IN LINE WITH OUR LITTLE NARROW-MINDED NON-PROGRESSIVE THEME FOR THE TOWN. I LIKE HOW OLD LESLIE BEATS THE BOARD TO PIECES AROUND THE NAIL BUT NEVER HITS IT DIRECTLY. ALOT OF NON-COHERENT RHETORIC FROM LES BABES HERE. ANOTHER ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE FIRED. MERCY!

There was something that I notice while I was putting up signs.  On Miller Road, from Breiel eastward to Miller Ridge school, we have the olde tyme phony gas street lamps.  Well, they must not have given off enough light, because the standard, modern street lights have also been installed.

Besides that obvious added capital costs, we citizens have had (and will continue to have) the privilege of paying for the extra electricity required for the redundant lamps every month, right along with all of the other street lights in town.

Oh, and by the way, there is a brand new modern school on one side of the street, and three brand new modern houses on the other side of the street, and that is it.  The olde tyme phony street lamps really look out of place.  It makes one wonder how they ever got a “certificate of appropriateness” out of the Historic Commission, because they certainly don’t look appropriate.

So, does this mean that we'll be installing the phony lights on ALL new or rebuilt streets from now on???  If so, Josh better raise the amount a whole lot higher...and Ms. G. better raise her street light electricity fee a whole lot higher, too.